The Air Force earlier this month inactivated the 537th Airlift Squadron at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The Active Duty unit had been operating C-130s at the Alaska base since April 2011, together with the Alaska Air National Guard’s 144th AS under an active association. The two units primarily supported Army airborne training, according to an Elmendorf release. “Although our time here was short and our manning levels topped out at only four of the intended 12 crews, we feel we have made an impact in Alaska and around the world,” said Maj. Ryan Hendrickson, 537th AS director of operations. The inactivation, which took place during a Sept 11 ceremony, was the result of the Air Force’s Fiscal 2013 force structure changes, according to the release. (Elmendorf report by A1C Tammie Ramsouer)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.